Weekly newsletter: January 14, 2026

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Connecting the Mississippi River Basin

The northern lights shine over the Missouri River floodplain on Nov. 11, 2025.

Photo credit: Larry Lile.

Hello ,

A few nights ago, my phone started to ping. Friends, neighbors and family members across the region texted me pictures of the darkened sky lit up with pinks, reds and greens. The aurora borealis, the northern lights, dipped down from Minnesota and Wisconsin through Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee – as far south as Florida.

We hopped in the truck and headed for the flat floodplains of the Missouri River, surely the best place for night-sky viewing in Mid-Missouri. Farm roads crawled with cars, folks hauled out armchairs and telescopes, and we settled in to watch the show. Undulating veils of color drew forth whooping and hollering in some corners and hushed awe in others. It was an amazing thing to witness.

These collective experiences are so powerful because they remind us that we're part of something greater. It's not often that we share a moment of appreciation for this wild and beautiful planet.

That brings me to my fundraising ask for the Ag & Water Desk. We're seeking to raise at least $10,000 in funds to help our reporters cover farming, food, wildlife, water and weather, from the headwaters of the Mississippi River to the Gulf. 

You might ask, "Why should I give to journalism, when there are so many needs in our community?" That's a great question. Bringing communities local news and information about these natural resources is vital to our collective survival, and it's the core mission of the Ag & Water Desk.

Whether we're reporting on farm policy or telling neighbors how to find food during the SNAP shutdown, our reporters are making a difference. By subscribing to this newsletter and supporting our campaign, you're making a statement that these issues matter, and our connections matter. No other media organization connects this region like we do, and we need your help to sustain the mission.

I want to note: the first $3,000 will be tripled by NewsMatch to help us reach rural audiences, especially those who don't have access to fact-based reporting on agriculture and the environment. Please give today.

Bring joy. Bring accountability. Bring a sense of community. When it comes to our shared home, we really are in this together. 

Keep looking up,

Thanks for reading. See you next week.

The Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk is an independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri in partnership with Report for America, with major funding from the Walton Family Foundation. Click here for a map of the basin and our partner newsrooms.

Reach us at info@agwaterdesk.org or by replying to this email.